Pre-seeded soil mixtures, such as germinating mixes, potting soils, peat cubes and compressed pellets, have been used in forestry, agricultural, commercial, and home uses. These mixtures contain seeds dispersed in a soil mixture that is later deposited to allow the seeds to germinate and grow. These mixtures obviate time-consuming labor, such as digging, tilling and cultivating. Some mixtures are also used in indoor and outdoor pots and planters. Most soil mixtures are usually free from insects, diseases, and weeds. However, because of the favorable environment provided by the soil mixtures, the seeds tend to germinate during storage or transit before the mixture is deposited for its intended use. The resulting seedlings are bulky and often become root-bound, resulting in limited time periods for storage and transportation. The seeds or seedlings are also exposed to injury and to unfavorable environmental conditions, resulting in excessively high mortality rates.
In order to prevent early germination and seed mortality, soil mixtures have been compressed into soil wafers or pellets to provide easy modes of transporting the soil mixtures while precluding the water necessary for germination. However, these compressed wafers traditionally have not effectively prevented water intrusion or germination of the seeds.
Additionally, many traditional soil mixtures do not contain sufficient nutrients to sustain prolonged plant growth.